Washing and drying machine



July 19, 1938. J, E. CARY A 2,124,460

WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1957 5' Sheets-Sheet 1 Z F.2-J

Z/ 4-: X0 /7 I /6 /9 55 I /6 /6 36 I f.ff i;

w Valerie gggg u ATTORN EYS July 19, 1938. J. E. CARY ET AL WASHING ANDDRYING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JE.Ca/-y Va Zerz'e 661/ a waywtlk,

ATTORNEYS July 19, 1938. J. E. CARY ET AL 2,124,460

- 'WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1937 s sheets-sheet s m, HH I 22 5/ L L? r .z 7. 45

ATTLORNEYS Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,124,460 WASHING ANDDRYING MACHINE John E. Cary and Valerie Cary, Opelousas, La. ApplicationJune 28, 1937 Serial No. 150,877

5 Claims.

the removal of such vegetables or fruits from their crates, the washingand drying being efiected mechanically and in this manner a maximumnumber of crates can be handled with dispatch and without excessivelabor and operating attendants in that the machine can be controlled bytwo operators.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the drying operation is carried forth through acentrifugal drier of special construction to accommodate crated productsand such crated vegetables or fruits prior to the drying operation aresubjected to a washing period so as to thoroughly wash and clean thevegetables or fruits and in the washing and drying operation the washingfiuid or liquid will not become wasted as such fluid -or liquid drainsback from the drier to the washing tank of the machine.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein a determined number of crates will be handled in asingle operation of the machine for the washing and thedrying of thecontents of the same, the machine in its entirety being of novelconstruction.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, which is compa-ratively simple in its construction,thoroughly reliable and efficacious in'operation, enabling the washingto be carried forth with dispatch and automatically, this also beingtrue with regard to the drying of the products, strong, durable, andinexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention andpointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine constructed in accordancewith the invention, the

drier being shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is an end-elevation and partly broken away...

" of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through themachine.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional View taken onthe line 44 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one of thecrate holders of the machine.

Figured is an end View thereof and .in open position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view .show-= ing in detail one of theclutch controls for the machine.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 8-8 of Figure 4looking in the direction Similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views .in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the .ma-

chine designated generally at A comprises a wash-:

ing .tub it] having a downwardly arched half circular bottom I I andsaid tub is fixedly supported in a stand or supporting frame I2 havingat the transverse center with respect to the tub the upstanding columnsor posts 13 which are arranged.

. at opposite sides of said tub exteriorly thereof.

The columns or posts l3 at their upper ends are fitted with suitablebearings I4 in which is ,journaled the center axle !5 of a rotatablereel l6 which is of four-sided formation including -oppo-.. sitelydisposed side spoke sills or beams l1 projecting radially from the axleI5 and meet the four corners of the said reel Hi.

The terminals of the sills or beams I! at the corners of the reel iiiare fitted with bearings 18 in which are journaled the center stud axlesl9 of rotatable crate holders 2!], each being of skeleton form and has ahinged door or cover 2|. These crate holders 2-0 accommodate cratedproducts such as vegetables or fruit, the door or cover 2| of eachholder'20 being latched at 22 in a closing position for the retention ofa crate therein when loaded.

One stud axle 19 of each crate holder 20 has fixed thereto a pinion 23adapted for meshing; engagement with a master gear 24 fixedto anoscillatory cranked shaft 25 suitably journaled at 26 in one side wallof the tub Hi. The pinions 23 on the turning of the reel i6 by hand aresuc-- cessively brought into meshing engagement with; the master gear 24and the crank 21 of the shaft 25 has pivoted thereto at 28 a throw rodorpitman 29 which is also pivoted at 30 to a crank 31, the latter being ofless length than the length of the crank 21 and is apart of the axle32supporting and having fixed thereto a power transmission gear 33driven in a manner hereinafter described. The variance in the length ofthe cranks 21 and 3| enables a reverse rotary action or oscillatorymovement of the gear 24 and the said crank 21 while the crank 3| willrotate in one direction under the rotation of the transmission gear 33when driven in one direction as hereinafter set forth.

The reverse rotation of the gear 24 causes the pinion 23 to be reverselydriven and in this manner when the said pinion is meshing with the gear24 the crate holder 20 common to such pinion will be caused to turnapproximately two and one-half revolutions in one direction andreversely two and one-half revolutions in the opposite direction. Whenthe crate is turned in this manner, it will be submerged in a washing orcleaning liquid or fluid held within the tub I!) so that the cratedfruit or vegetables within the said turning. holder 2!) will bethoroughly washed when submerged within the liquid or fluid.

Arranged at one end of the tub l6 and built within the stand [2supporting the same is a horizontal platform, 34 which is elevated toapproximately fiush with a top opening in the tub It] and upon thisplatform 34 is held a vertically disposed cylindrical drier tank 35 openat its top and within which is arranged a rotatable drier crate holdingrack 36 which at its bottom centrally thereof is connected with arotatably driven shaft 31 vertically disposed and beneath the platform34 has fitted therewith a beveled gear 33. This beveled gear 38 mesheswith a clutch released power gear 39, the release clutch 43 there forbeing controlled by a hand lever 4i extended upwardly in proximity tothe tank 35 and manually controlled by an attendant when on the platform34. 'The clutch 40 is in association with a power shaft 42 suitablyjournaled in the stand 52 at one end thereof and operated from anysuitable power source.

Cooperating with the power shaft 42 is a driving pinion 43 inassociation with a release clutch 44 between it and the said shaft 42and this clutch is under the control of a hand lever 45 arranged inproximity to the tub In at the end thereof remote from the drier tank35. By the use of the clutches 46 and 44 power can be shut off from thedrier rack 36 and the master gear 24, respectively. The shaft 44 isequipped with the idle and fast pulleys 45 and 46, respectively, thesebeing conventional in kind and accommodate the power belt from anexternal power source with respect to the machine.

Interiorly of and at one side of the tub is arranged a reel stop or reelholding stirrup 41 mounted for vertical swinging movement at 48 andoperative by a hand lever 49 so that the said stop or stirrup 41 can bebrought to a position for engaging any one of the stud axles l9 carryingthe pinions 23 when in the path of said stopor stirrup to have the reell6 brought to a standstill and the said pinion 23 in meshing engagementwith the master gear 24 when a crate holder 26 is submerged in thecontents of the tub it and in this manner the said crate holdersubmerged will alternately rotate in reverse directions during themeshing engagement of its pinion 23 with the master gear 24 and thus theloaded crate within said holder 20 will have its contents thoroughlywashed within the tub.

Each quarter rotation of the reel I6 submerges a crate holder 20 in thecontents of the tub l and brings another crate holder upon said reel toa position with relation to the drier tank 35 so that a transfer of acrate with its contents washed may be made from the holder thereof intothe rack 36 for the drying operation. This tank 35 with the rack 36therein has leading therefrom a drain spout 50 opening into the tub Inso that any liquid driven or let off from the contents of the cratewithin the rack 36 will flow back into the tub and thus in this manneravoid loss by waste of the washing liquid or fluid which might otherwiseoccur in the transfer of a loaded crate from a holder 20 into the driertank 35.

The tub ID at its lowermost point has leading therefrom a drain forconvenience in the emptying of the said tub, the drain being valved inany suitable manner and such valve not shown.

In the operation of the machine, the loaded crates are placed within theholders 20 and in successive order these holders carrying the loadedcrates are submerged in the content of the tub Ill through manualturning of the reel l6 and in a step by step procedure the submergedholder 20 is stopped with the pinion 23 common thereto meshing with themaster gear 24 and under its operation the said holder submerged isalternately reversely rotated for the cleaning of the load in the crateheld by said holder. After the cleaning of the load of the crate, thereel I6 will be turned so that this cleaned loaded crate can betransferred from the holder having the same:

into the drier rack 36 for the drying operation of the machine, thetransferred crate being set upon its end in the rack 36 and throughrotation of the rack the drying of the contents of the crate will be hadwithout loss or waste of the:

cleaning fluid let off or thrown from the contents through centrifugalaction in the driving of the said rack in that the thrown off liquidflows back into the tub l0 during the operation of the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the kind described comprising a liquid holding tub, arotatable reel supported above said tub and having portions movable intoand from the same, a plurality of crate holders rotatably supported bysaid reel at the portions movable into and from the tub and rotatableindependently of each other, pinions connected with the holders at theaxes of rotation thereof, a reversely rotating gear arranged withrelation to the pinions at the point of movement of the portions of thereel into the tub for successive meshing engagement of the said pinionswith the said gear on rotation of the reel, and means manuallycontrolled for sustaining the reel against rotation when one of thepinions is enmesh with the gear.

2. A machine of the kind described comprising a liquid holding tub, arotatable reel supported above said tub and having portions movable intoand from the same, a plurality of crate holders rotatably supported bysaid reel at the portions movable into and from the tub and rotatableindependently of each other, pinions connected with the holders at theaxes of rotation thereof, a reversely rotating gear arranged withrelation to the pinions at the point of movement of the portions of thereel into the tub for successive meshing engagement of the said pinionswith the said gear on rotation of the reel, means 3. A machine of thekind described comprising a liquid holding tub, a rotatable reelsupported above said tub and having portions movable into and from thesame, a plurality of crate holders rotatably supported by said reel atthe portions movable into and from the tub and rotatable independentlyof each other, pinions connected with the holders at the axes ofrotation thereof, a reversely rotating gear arranged with relation tothe pinions at the point of movement of the portions of the reel intothe tub for successive meshing engagement of the said pinions with.

the said gear on rotation of the reel, means manually controlled forsustaining the reel against rotation when one of the pinions is enmeshwith the gear, means for imparting reverse rotation tosaid gear, a tankarranged next to the tub, and a rotary rack within the tank foraccommodating a crate on manual transfer thereof from a crate holderinto said rack.

4. A machine of the kind described comprising a liquid holding tub, arotatable reel supported above said tub and having portions movable intoand from the same, a plurality of crate holders rotatably supported bysaid reel at the portions movable into and from the tub and rotatableindependently of each other, pinions connected with the holders at theaxes of rotation thereof, a reversely rotating gear arranged withrelation to the pinions at the point of movement of the portions of thereel into the tub for successive meshing engagement of the said pinionswith the said gear on rotation of the reel, means manually controlledfor sustaining the reel against rotation when one of the pinions isenmesh with the gear, means for imparting reverse rotation to said gear,a tank arranged next to the tub, a rotary rack within the tank foraccommodating a crate on manual transfer thereof from a crate holderinto said rack, and driven connections between the said rack and thelast-named means.

5. A machine of the kind described comprising a liquid holding tub, arotatable r-eel supported above said tub and having portions movableinto and from the same, a plurality of crate holders rotatably supportedby said reel at the portions movable into and from the tub and rotatableindependently of each other, pinions connected with the holders at theaxes of rotation thereof, a reversely rotating gear arranged withrelation to the pinions at the point of movement of the portions of thereel into the tub for successive meshing engagement of the said pinionswith the said gearon rotation of the reel, means manually controlled forsustaining the reel against rotation when one of the pinions isenmeshwith the gear,'means for imparting reverse rotation to said gear,a tank arranged next to the tub a rotary rack within the tank foraccommodating a crate on manual transfer thereof from a crate holderinto said rack, driven connections between the said rack and thelast-named means, and controls for the driven connections between thegear and the last-named means and also the latter and the rack.

JOHN E. CARY. VALERIE CARY.

